Alphabetic sequence of counties on a route

[empirestate]

Here's a random fun one...

I notice that WI 83 (among other routes, possibly) traverses three consecutive counties that start with 'W': Washington, Waukesha and Walworth. What's the longest string of consecutive counties that start with the same letter that you can find along a single route?

As a second challenge, what's the longest sequence of counties you can find in alphabetical order (starting with any letter) along a single route?

[Ian]

I don't know of any that go through four or more counties in a row that begin with the same letter, but I know I-80 in Pennsylvania goes through three counties beginning with a 'C' in a row: Clearfield, Centre, and Clinton.

And in New Jersey, NJ 33 goes through Monmouth, Middlesex, and Mercer Counties.

[Darkchylde]

A three in a row - US 50 nearby passes through three "J" counties - Johnson County in Kansas, then Jackson County and... Johnson County in Missouri.

[empirestate]

Elsewhere in Wisconsin you have a grouping of Waupaca, Waushara and Winnebago counties, though I don't think there's a single route connecting them.

But this does point out another curiosity, which is that there's often one particular letter that's over-represented in a state's counties. For Wisconsin it's obviously W; for Pennsylvania I think it's C (as seen above); and for New York it's probably O: Onondaga, Oneida, Ontario, Otsego, Oswego, Orange, Orleans... (Although NY also has a lot of 'S' counties–particularly 'Sch'–and 'C' counties–particularly 'Ch'.)

[dvferyance]

WI-164 goes through Waukesha and Washington counties WI-67 goes through Walworth and Waukesha counties and IL-47 goes through Kane and Kendell counties I believe IL-31 does too although that's only two.

[myosh_tino]

U.S. 101 in California goes through San Benito, Santa Clara, San Mateo and San Francisco counties.  That's 4 counties starting with the letter "S".

[jp the roadgeek]

CT/MA 10, US 202, US 5, and I-91 pass through 3 consecutive "H" counties (Hartford County, CT; and Hampden and Hampshire Counties in MA).  RI/MA 103 and RI/MA 136 pass between Bristol Counties in their respective states.  Several routes pass between Hampden and Hampshire counties, which are the only 2 counties within a state's borders of the 3 southern New England states that are connected and begin with the same letters.

NY also has Washington and Warren counties that are connected.

[vdeane]

Also Herkimer/Hamilton and Chautauqua/Cattaraugus; Onondaga/Oswego/Oneida/Otsego are near each other too, but no route goes through all four.

[Brandon]

Illinois:

I-55 (and former US-66) goes through Madison, Macoupin, and Montgomery.
IL-49 goes through Coles, Clark, and Cumberland.

IL-49 goes through Champaign, Douglas, and Edgar (as well as Vermilion as it is on the county line between Vermilion and Champaign).

[empirestate]

WI-164 goes through Waukesha and Washington counties WI-67 goes through Walworth and Waukesha counties and IL-47 goes through Kane and Kendell counties I believe IL-31 does too although that's only two.

Yeah, I would say that pairs of same-letter counties are going to be quite common. Probably not worth even mentioning fewer than three.

U.S. 101 in California goes through San Benito, Santa Clara, San Mateo and San Francisco counties.  That's 4 counties starting with the letter "S".

That's got to be the one to beat so far! Didn't think about California and all their "San/Santa" counties.

IL-49 goes through Champaign, Douglas, and Edgar (as well as Vermilion as it is on the county line between Vermilion and Champaign).

And that's the leader for non-same letter alphabetic sequence. This one'll be tricky to figure out, but I'm sure there are much longer strings out there!

[pianocello]

Iowa Highway 27 (Avenue of the Saints) has Benton, Buchanan, Black Hawk, and Bremer. Not in alphabetical order, but that's four of them.

US-218, although not the entire route, has a pretty long alphabetical sequence. Starting in Benton County, IA, it goes to Black Hawk, Bremer, Chickasaw, Floyd, Mitchell, and Mower County, MN. (It goes through Linn before Benton, and catches the corner of Dodge after Mower.)

[tdindy88]

Couple for Indiana, only three counties anyway.

SR 37 (future I-69) travels through Monroe, Morgan and Marion Counties
SR 29 travels through Clinton, Carroll and Cass Counties

[ftballfan]

US-31 in Michigan has Muskegon, Mason, and Manistee counties (would be right in a row if not for Oceana County)

[theline]

Couple for Indiana, only three counties anyway.

SR 37 (future I-69) travels through Monroe, Morgan and Marion Counties
SR 29 travels through Clinton, Carroll and Cass Counties

Also in Indiana, SR-29 passes through Cass, Carroll, and Clinton counties consecutively.

I tried to find a continuous route through Hamilton, Hancock, and Henry counties, which are contiguous, but I failed.

[cheungd]

In California, SR 99 goes through Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Sacramento, and Sutter counties.

[CNGL-Leudimin]

After a quick search on the map I found OR 140 starts in Jackson county and then continues through Klamath and Lake counties. Too bad the last county before it enters Nevada starts with H instead of M...

[FrCorySticha]

Both I-70 and I-64 in MO and IL pass through St. Charles (MO), St. Louis (MO), and St. Clair (IL) counties. If you count St. Louis city as separate from the county, then it would be 4.

[DTComposer]

U.S. 101 in California goes through San Benito, Santa Clara, San Mateo and San Francisco counties.  That's 4 counties starting with the letter "S".

That's got to be the one to beat so far! Didn't think about California and all their "San/Santa" counties.

Two more for California:
CA-35: Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Mateo, San Francisco
CA-99: Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Sacramento, Sutter

[WNYroadgeek]

Also Herkimer/Hamilton and Chautauqua/Cattaraugus; Onondaga/Oswego/Oneida/Otsego are near each other too, but no route goes through all four.

Also Steuben/Schuyler, Schuyler/Seneca, Steuben/Schuyler/Seneca, Tioga/Tompkins, Cayuga/Cortland, Cortland/Chenango, Cayuga/Cortland/Chenango, Warren/Washington, Saratoga/Schenectady, Schenectady/Schoharie, and Saratoga/Schenectady/Schoharie. Not all of them work, though.

[empirestate]

Also Herkimer/Hamilton and Chautauqua/Cattaraugus; Onondaga/Oswego/Oneida/Otsego are near each other too, but no route goes through all four.

Also Steuben/Schuyler, Schuyler/Seneca, Steuben/Schuyler/Seneca, Tioga/Tompkins, Cayuga/Cortland, Cortland/Chenango, Cayuga/Cortland/Chenango, Warren/Washington, Saratoga/Schenectady, Schenectady/Schoharie, and Saratoga/Schenectady/Schoharie. Not all of them work, though.

Which ones do work?

[cl94]

Also Herkimer/Hamilton and Chautauqua/Cattaraugus; Onondaga/Oswego/Oneida/Otsego are near each other too, but no route goes through all four.

Madison being in the middle kills it for US 20 - it hits 3 of them.

Albany County ruins the S sequence for NY 146 (Schoharie-Schenectady-Saratoga)

[hm insulators]

Going east across Arizona, I-10 starts in La Paz County, goes through Maricopa County (Phoenix metro), Pinal County and Pima County (Tucson). Cochise County in the southeastern corner of the state goofs up the sequence.

[empirestate]

Going east across Arizona, I-10 starts in La Paz County, goes through Maricopa County (Phoenix metro), Pinal County and Pima County (Tucson). Cochise County in the southeastern corner of the state goofs up the sequence.

If your order is correct, it's actually Pima that goofs up the order.

[WNYroadgeek]

Also Herkimer/Hamilton and Chautauqua/Cattaraugus; Onondaga/Oswego/Oneida/Otsego are near each other too, but no route goes through all four.

Also Steuben/Schuyler, Schuyler/Seneca, Steuben/Schuyler/Seneca, Tioga/Tompkins, Cayuga/Cortland, Cortland/Chenango, Cayuga/Cortland/Chenango, Warren/Washington, Saratoga/Schenectady, Schenectady/Schoharie, and Saratoga/Schenectady/Schoharie. Not all of them work, though.

Which ones do work?

Steuben/Schuyler (NY 226), Schuyler/Seneca (NY 414), Tioga/Tompkins (NY 79 and 96), Cayuga/Cortland (NY 90), Cortland/Chenango (NY 23, 26, and 41) all work. Steuben/Schuyler/Seneca doesn't work (despite NY 414 entering all three, it enters Chemung in between the former two). Still working on the rest.